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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · saw · swing · roll · court · season · stand · rule

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. saw — the tool
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a cake
  5. court — of a king
  6. roll — a list
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. season — in sport
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rule — government
  13. court — for sport
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rule — a law
  16. court — of law
  17. season — of the year
  18. swing — music
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. stand — to bear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com